New global warming study

Doyle Rice USA TODAY Published 6:20 p.m. UTC Jun 13, 2018 Global warming has caused over 3 trillion tons of ice to melt from Antarctica in the past quarter-century and tripled ice loss there in the past decade, a new study finds. The total is equivalent to over 4 quintrillion gallons of water added to the world's oceans, making Antarctica's melting ice sheets one of the largest contributors to rising sea levels. That amount of water is enough to fill over a billion swimming pools and cover Texas to a depth of nearly 13 feet. “Even though Antarctica is far from most human civilization, its ice sheet is losing mass to the ocean, and is an increasing contribution to sea-level rise," said study co-author Helen Amanda Fricker, a glaciologist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. This "will have large impacts on coastlines all around all the world.” “The future we choose could determine when we need to rebuild airports, cities and infrastructure … [Read more...] about Global warming has melted over 3 trillion tons of ice in Antarctica since 1992, and it’s only getting worse

Global warming is expected to make vegetables significantly scarcer around the world, unless new growing practices and resilient crop varieties are adopted, researchers warned on Monday. By the end of this century, less water and hotter air will combine to cut average yields of vegetables -- which are crucial to a healthy diet -- by nearly one-third, said the report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A 7.2 Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) increase in temperature, which scientists expect by 2100 if global warming continues on its current trajectory, reduces average yields by 31.5 percent, said the report. "Our study shows that environmental changes such as increased temperature and water scarcity may pose a real threat to global agricultural production, with likely further impacts on food security and population health," said lead author Pauline Scheelbeek of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Southern Europe, large parts of Africa and South Asia may be … [Read more...] about Global warming will make veggies harder to find: study

Early life flourished in a “greenhouse world” in which there were no polar ice sheets and sea temperatures around what is now Britain rose to 25C. The period in Earth’s history known as the “Cambrian explosion” around half a billion years ago saw a massive increase in the diversity of life. This period saw representatives from all major animal groups emerging for the first time throughout the world’s oceans. Read more First birds had beaks with teeth, prehistoric fossils show Notable among these were the chordates – a lineage that would ultimately give rise to vertebrates including humans. Scientists have long suspected this was a particularly warm period in Earth’s history, but until now it has been difficult to prove. “Because scientists cannot directly measure sea temperatures from half a billion years ago, they have to use proxy data – these are measurable quantities that respond in a predictable way to changing … [Read more...] about Global warming drove ‘explosion’ of life 500 million years ago that ultimately gave rise to humans

Polar bears and other marine ­species could be wiped out within 40 years as global warming continues to rapidly heat the world’s oceans, new research warns. Experts have called for emergency action to cut emissions and use cleaner energy in a bid to save treasured wildlife from destruction. The research predicts affected oceans will warm by 2.8C by 2100. But life in Marine Protected Areas could start becoming extinct as early as 2050. MPAs were set up as havens for threatened species such as polar bears and penguins. But if ­emissions continue at the rate they are now, the areas will become ­“uninhabitable” because of a lack of food and living space. Coral reefs also face destruction. Study chief Professor John Bruno, of the University of North ­Carolina at Chapel Hill, said: “With warming of this ­magnitude, we expect to lose many, if not most, animal species from Marine Protected Areas by the next century. “To avoid the worst … [Read more...] about Polar bears will be extinct in 40 years thanks to global warming, study warns

Global warming is set to wipe out “many if not most” of the animals living in protected parts of the world’s oceans by the end of the century, scientists predict.Polar bears and penguins are among the species under greatest threat, even if carbon emission trends remain unchanged.Current “business-as-usual” projections suggest that by 2100 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will be 2.8C warmer than they are today.That is enough to make the conservation zones uninhabitable for many of the fish, mammals, birds and invertebrates now dwelling within them, say the researchers.There are 8,236 MPAs around the world, covering 4% of the total surface of the oceans.They were set up to provide safe havens for wildlife and conserve endangered habitats by restricting human activities such as fishing, mining and tourism.The new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change suggests that without drastic action MPAs will be “devastated” by rapid global … [Read more...] about Global warming raises fears of extinction in Marine Protected Areas